Vacuum-tube contact device



July 3, 1928. 1,675,485

J. C. FARLEY VACUUM TUBE CONTACT DEVICE Filed Oct. 15, 1926 with a zwz Patented July 3, 1928.

JOHN Y, oFoPEmkA, ALABAMA.

VACUUM-TUBE CONTACT DEVICE.

Application filed October 1a, 1926. Serial no. 141,327.

This invention relates to improvements in vacuum tube contact devices, particularly'jin the means for ad ustably maintaining a con-.

tinuous contactbetween therpins extending from the vacuum tube and the contact strips which are ordinarily. attached in some suitable manner to the basemember ofvacuum tubes found in the average radio receiving set; i a i A further object thisv invention .is to provide a device for adjusting the contact between contact pins and contact strips ordinarily found inradio receiving setsan'd: consisting of a slotted portiontin the ordinary socket member suitably provided with a plurality of grooved portlons-adapted to receive a cooperating lug extending from the vacuum tube, the grooved portionsibeing so arranged that the degree of contact between the pins and contact stripsmay beadjusted according to the desires, depending upon the number of grooved portions in the slot. The grooved portions in the slot ll'lqt'he socket member are arrangedat an angle to the ver ticalaxis of the vacuum tube device in such a manner that when the cooperating lugon the vacuum tube is brought'into operating relationshipwith a groove, the pins and contact strips will be brought into contact relationship in proportion thereto.

1 Other objects of this invention Wlll appear in the following detailed description of the device and in the single sheet of drawings which is herewith made a part ofthis specification. 1:

In the drawings, Fig.1 illustrates a vertical sectional viewof the vacuum tube contact device disclosing the various elements in operating relationship.

Fig. 2 illustrates a top plan View of the vacuum tube contact device.

Fig. 3 illustrates a bottom plan view of the vacuum tube contact device, disclosing the construction of the contact strips and their operating relationship with the pins extending from the vacuum tube.

Fig. 4 discloses a bottom plan view of a segmental portion of thedevice showing a single contact strip element in operating relationship with a vacuum tube pin.

Fig. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a contact strip previous to insertion in the vacuum tube contact device, and showing its general form of construction.

Fig. 6 represents a segmental portion of the bottom plan view of the contact device disclosing a modification of this invention in the form ofcontact strip elements arranged in operatingrelationship to a con-T tact .pin from the vacuum tube. Numeral *1 designates an ordinary vacuum tubeadapted to be brought into operating relationship within a socket member 2 and. base memberk3uthe contact pins t,::5,1 6 and 7 extending ,inthe ordinary manner from the vacuum tube elements 1, and are adapted to. contact with contact strip portions 8, 9, 10 and 11. The numerals 12 designate teimmal connections? adapted. to connect in a suitable manner. the contact strips .8, 9,10 andill to the. base m'ember3. :The contact. strips inthis invention are preferably made from suitable material and bent into. an ap proximate V shape, one end of: the strip,1as at 13, being detachably: connected" to the base member, while the other end ofthe strip, as M114, is loosely positioned 'within suitable notched portions .1 15 located. around the, inner periphery 'ofthe. base member 3. 1 l' YThe socket member 2Xis' provided withma downwardly cextending slotted portion. 16 along its upper periphery, one side edge of the slot 16 being provided witlig'roovedfportionsl'i extending in a. downwardly inclined direction tdiilhGVBI'tlCBd axis of :the vacuum tube; in sucha manner t-hatwhen a lug portion118 extending from. the vacuum tube 1 cooperates .Wlllll a. grooved portion 17 the end members 14, 5, 6 and 7 will-function to contact in an efficient. manner with thegcon tactstrip portions8; .9, .10 and 11.;

Fig. 6 of the drawings illustrates a modi fication or, this invention disclosing a contact strip element 19, one end of which is suitabl connected to the base member 3, as at 20,t e other end of the member 19 being adapted to cooperate with the auxiliary member 21, one end of which is adapted to be held in the member 3 and the other end being slidably engaged with the contact strip member 19 in such a manner that the pin 22 may be held in close and efficient contact thereto as may be desired and assure the cooperation of the vacuum tube lug portion 18 and the slotted and grooved portlons 16' and 17 on the socket member 2.

In operation this invention provides an eflicient means for maintaining a continuous and eiiicient contact between the pins of the vacuum tube and the contact strips ordinarily attached to the base member of the radio receiving set. It is apparent that the device may be easily made to function and is simple of construction. I'Vhenever, for any cause, the contact becomes week, all that the operator needs to do in'ord'er to eliminate the lack of contact is to adjust the vacuum tube and its cooperating lug element in a suitable grooved portion of the slot in the socket member, thereby functioning to bring the pins of the vacuum tube into closer contact with thestrips or bring them into open relationship as may be desired. In order to. insure amore perfect contact between the contact elements, the strips 8', 9, wand 11 are preferably formed in this invention approximately in a V shape, one end being attached in. a. suitable manner to the base member portion, the other end being allowed to move freely in the notched portion of the base member, This construction functions to produce an advantageous resiliency thereby increasing resistance to loss. of contact, also it will function tomaintain at all times a vertical position of the vacuum tubes, obviously a great improvement over thedevicesnow in;

1. In a vacuum tube cont-act device, a

socket for the tube, a base member for the socket. contact pins extending in/fixed relationship from the tubefcontactstripssuit ably attached'to the base member, a notched portion in the base member, means for. adjusting the contact between the pins. and contact strips consisting of a suitably formed slot in the socket adapted to coo erate with a lag portion-extending fromtl ie resilient contact strip member of high efii-.

ciency.

2. In a vacuum tube contact device, a

socket for the tube, a base member fortlic socket, contact pins extendingfrom the tube and contact strips suitably connected to the base member, means for maintainingka con:-

tinuous contact between the pins and the contact strips consisting of' a' suitable slot in the socket member adapted. to receive a cooperating lug portion extending from the tube in such a manner that the contact between the pins and Contact strips may be adjusted as desired, the slot in the socket having one edge provided with: a: plurality of grooves, arranged in inclined step relationship to the vertical axis of the tube,

in sucha manner that the cooperating lug portion from the tube may be easily shiftedinto the various'grooves thereof, tending to bring the pins and contact strips into closer or more open relationship as'desired.

3. In a vacuum tube contact device, a;

socket for the tube, a base member forthe socket, contact pins extending from the tube,

contact strips suitably connected tofthe base member, a slot in the socket member adapted to receive a cooperating lug portion extendii U ing from the tube in such a manner that the contact between the pins and contact strips may be adjusted as desired, thecontact strips being formed to contact with the pin elements at the sides thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN G. FARLEY. 

